San Mateo County Added To State Watch List

A waiter at Raku, an Asian restaurant in Bethesda, wears a protective face mask as serve customers outdoors amid the coronavirus pandemic on June 12, 2020 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Photo credit Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

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San Mateo County has now been added to California's COVID-19 monitoring list, according to the state's coronavirus response website.

The county had been the lone Bay Area county not on the list, until now.

Many thought San Mateo being added to the list was imminent beginning last week. The county’s case rate, based on a 14-day rolling average, is over 110 positive cases per 100,000 residents. That's well over the case rate of 100 for counties on the monitoring list. 

“I think it’s good that they’re taking the precautions to limit the exposure that people will have to it. It’s just disappointing but I completely understand,” said Alexis, who was waiting for her appointment.

But a fellow gym goer disagreed. “I think it’s sad. I don’t think it’s necessary if we keep doing what we’re doing, wear the masks, wash hands, keep distance,” she said, despite the rising cases.

Bars would have to close entirely, though Gov. Gavin Newsom had previously closed all bars statewide as the current coronavirus surge began a few weeks ago.

Indoor dining and hair salons were allowed to reopen in San Mateo County last month.

"We’ve been anticipating being added to the monitoring list as our case rate hovers above the state’s target," San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said in a news release Wednesday afternoon. "It’s clear that COVID-19 continues to spread in our community and in the Bay Area. It’s vital that we all do everything we can - wearing face coverings, washing our hands, and avoiding gatherings - to slow and eventually stop to the spread."

San Mateo County is now on the state’s watch list and if we don’t “Wear our Damn Masks” we may never return to normal!

— David Canepa (@davidcanepa) July 29, 2020

"I'm not optimistic (about improving over the next three days)," San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa told KCBS Radio's Patti Reising and Jeff Bell late Wednesday. "We're down six points and we're at the 40-yard line and we need a Hail Mary with one second left."

San Mateo County has had more than 5300 cases of the virus and 118 deaths. Health officials believe the virus is being spread mostly through social gatherings and within households.

San Mateo County Expands COVID-19 Testing